Cool auto glass is hot idea in California

The state Air Resources Board wants cars in California to stay a little cooler in the summer sun.

Thursday, the air board is scheduled to vote on its "cool" car rules, which call for newfangled windows to be installed on new passenger vehicles starting with 2012 models. Compared with today's standard windows, the technology would cut the inside temperature of a car parked in the sun by about 12 degrees, federal studies suggest.

Set to roll out in stages, the plan would be another small advance in the state's war on global warming. By keeping vehicle interiors cooler, drivers should save fuel by running their air conditioners less. In addition, automakers may opt to install smaller air-conditioning units in new vehicles.